Luring 3 types of women

When I ask companies or dealers what type of women they’re targeting, many times I hear “all women use our products, so we market to everyone, from Millennials to Boomers.” Hmmm. I then ask if they really have enough budget and time to successfully market and sell to all women. I also suggest they think about similarities of attitudes and/or life stages, not ages. Here are some tips on luring three types of women: Core Candy, Adventurous Ashley and Mommy Maria.

Core Candy

This one will be the easiest. And the hardest. These are the women who are already in the sport, whether on your brand, or a competitor’s. Some are working beside you right now, possibly reading over your shoulder. Listen to them, but remember they are giving advice through their sometimes biased perceptions.

That said, they can help you understand what messages, images and marketing avenues may convince other Core Candy women to either trade up in the same brand, or switch over and try a new one. Validate their ideas by testing them with a group of five to six diverse core women — young and old, new riders and veterans. Don’t just use your current customers; try reaching out to new ones, maybe some from this list of women’s motorcycle clubs, WRN Club Listing.

Key motivators for purchase for Core Candy women are recommendations from other female riders. Show her stories of others who either traded up, or made a brand switch, and tell her why they decided to take action.

Adventurous Ashley

She can be a tomboy. She can be a feminine flirt. But, she’s always up for adventure. She wants respect … from the boys and the girls. Independence is her middle name. Though sometimes she wants the company of other like-minded women, and men.

Where is she? Dating your core customers perhaps? Or, she’s out enjoying another sport, solo or with others. Many female motorcyclists I’ve met either ride snowmobiles and ATVs, or want to. Adventurous Ashley could be in an athletic sport, such as mountain biking, Ironman triathlons, rock climbing, downhill skiing or snowboarding. She may have an affinity for speed and risk. She enjoys pushing her limits and feeling her heart and mind accelerate, but still wants expert instruction to mitigate serious injury.

Adventurous Ashley seeks new experiences. Try partnering with a local business in another sport. Cross-market the experiences you offer. Invite her to an “intro event” about your sport at the partner’s location and vice versa. For example, if you are a motorcycle business, partner with a ski shop in early spring to host a “Motorcycle 101” event at the ski shop. Then in the fall, invite your customers to come in for an “Intro to Snowboarding” seminar at your dealership. Whatever you do, make it relatable and FUN.

Mommy Maria

First off, you aren’t going to sell much directly to Mommy Maria that she is going to use herself. Moms are usually too busy to do much else than keep the household from splintering, especially those with young kids. The reason I’m including her is because she’s a key influencer and decision-maker in most of the family budget decisions, including any purchases from you.

In the last article, “Selling to Her Emotional Brain,” I provided ideas on how to tie in the emotional benefits of your product or service by getting her to think about using it with family members. If she comes in with her family, engage her in the conversation, talk about safety options and courses and family outings with local clubs. Ignore her, and you may lose the sale.

On your website, show images of family members enjoying your product and stories about how it improves their quality time together, away from video games and mobile devices.

Whichever group you target, if it’s your initial attempt at dedicated women’s marketing, start with one and focus on that type of woman using best practices and tracking results.

A rider for 24 years, Leslie spent 15 years with Harley-Davidson (three years at retail, 12 at corporate) and created their marketing to women role in 2007. She spearheaded Women Riders Month and a Garage Party Campaign that drove 25,000 women to dealers. After two years at Trek Bicycles, Leslie now helps companies sell more to women.